The 5G mobile communications standard promises high data rates, higher system capacity and better connectivity. The Internet of Things and companies in particular should benefit from this. See which manufacturers are leading the world in 5G.
What is 5G?
The abbreviation 5G stands for the fifth generation of mobile communications. This technology is the next level after UMTS (3G) and LTE / Advanced LTE (4G). The aim of 5G is faster and more versatile mobile communications, which, according to the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), should offer higher data rates, improved capacity and an intelligent network. 5G should also promote digitization with new possibilities for companies. Among other things, the standard is intended to improve networking within a company, between companies and M2M communication. The Internet of Things (IoT – Internet of Things) is a 5G application area for companies and private individuals, which 5G should also promote.
The 5G mobile communications standard has still arrived everywhere, but is constantly being expanded. As network operators, equipment suppliers and manufacturers expect substantial profits from this, they are constantly innovating to survive in the lucrative 5G market. The number is correspondingly highof inventions and technologies for which patents are pending. These patent filings are seen as a benchmark for leadership in 5G technology. With the help of a corresponding study by IPlytics GmbH and Statista, we have listed the leading 5G companies for you:
1st place: Huawei
First place for the leading 5G companies goes to a Chinese company that, like ZTE, is based in Shenzhen. We are talking about Huawei, whose focus is the development and manufacture of communication technology devices. The group’s product range includes smartphones, tablets, wearables, but also routers and servers from which other companies can benefit. Huawei earned its place as the winner with its 15.39 percent share in the 5G patent families.
2nd place: Qualcomm
#2 5G leader: California-based Qualcomm, a semiconductor manufacturer and provider of cellular communications solutions. The company is active in the areas of processors, mobile communications and wireless communications, among other things. Qualcomm owns 11.24 percent of the 5G patent families.
3rd place: ZTE
3rd place: ZTE, a telecom equipment maker based in Shenzhen, China. This company also offers smartphones, routers and tablets. 9.81 percent of 5G patent families belong to ZTE.
4th place: Samsung Electronics
With 9.67 percent of the 5G godfathers, the South Korean conglomerate Samsung, one of Huawei’s direct competitors, secured fourth place. But in addition to smartphones, tablets, televisions and wearables, Samsung also offers refrigerators, washing machines and other household appliances. Even vacuum cleaner robots can be found in Samsung’s product repertoire.
5th place: Nokia
Nokia is a global telecommunications group. The group’s products include smartphones, WiFi, but also hardware and software. With 9.01 percent of the 5G patent families, Nokia comes in 5th place in this ranking.
6th place: LG Electronics
LG Electronics, the sixth leading 5G company, is a South Korean conglomerate based in Seoul. In addition to smartphones, LG also produces televisions, home cinema systems, as well as refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. The company owns 7.01 percent of the 5G patent families.
7th place: Ericsson
In seventh place among the leading 5G companies is Ericsson, a Swedish company based in Stockholm. Its core business includes mobile technology, internet and multimedia communications and telecommunications. Ericsson holds 4.35 percent of the 5G patent families.
8th place: Sharp
8th place: Sharp is a Japanese electronics company. The product range extends from LCD TVs, audio systems, microwaves and mobile phones to solar modules. In addition, the company develops digital core technologies and components for electronic products. Sharp holds 3.65 percent of the world’s 5G patents.
9th place: Oppo Electronics
The Chinese electronics manufacturer Oppo Electronics occupies 9th place in the ranking. The group’s main products are smartphones and Blu-ray players. Oppo has a 3.47 percent share in the patents for the 5G mobile standard.
10th place: DT Mobile
Ranked 10th among the leading 5G companies is DT Mobile, a subsidiary of the Chinese telecommunications group Datang Telecom, which was founded in 1998 by the China Academy of Telecommunications Technology (CATT). DT Mobile’s (formerly Datang Mobile’s) share of global 5G patents is 3.44 percent.
The top 10 companies by number of 5G patent families in 2020
- 10th place: InterDigital with 299 patent families
- 9th place: NTT Docomo with 346 patent families
- 8th place: Sharp with 449 patent families
- 7th place: Ericsson with 768 patent families
- 6th place: Qualcomm with 831 patent families
- 5th place: ZTE with 837 patent families
- 4th place: Huawei with 1,274 patent families
- 3rd place: LG Electronics with 1,415 patent families
- 2nd place: Nokia with 1,584 patent families
- 1st place: Samsung Electronics with 1,728 patent families
The top 10 companies by number of 5G patent families in 2018
- 10th place: Nokia (incl. Alcatel-Lucent) with 307 patent families
- 9th place: CATT with 352 patent families
- 8th place: Sharp with 468 patent families
- 7th place: Intel with 491 patent families
- 6th place: LG with 641 patent families
- 5th place: Qualcomm with 737 patent families
- 4th place: ZTE with 796 patent families
- 3rd place: Ericsson with 798 patent families
- 2nd place: Huawei with 986 patent families
- 1st place: Samsung with 1,194 patent families
Understand future technologies!
Technology is evolving faster than ever before. New technologies are constantly finding their way into our lives. Of course, this does not mean that old technologies will disappear, but the relevance will shift. You can read about which technologies and concepts are becoming more important, what the current status is and what opportunities lie for the industry in our “Future Technologies” section – this way!
Our editor Julia Dusold has summarized an overview of the most relevant future technologies and their industrial applications in this compendium: ” These are the most important future technologies “.
Also Read: How to Build a private 5G network for Industry 4.0
